The Unexpected
by WillowDream203
Summary: Hermione finds herself working with the one man who she hated just as much as he hated her. When she finds herself falling for him, naturally the unexpected should be the first thing to happen. Written for SSHG Promptfest. Beta'd by LittleTroubleMaker.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! Here is a little story that I was going to submit for the SSHG Promptfest that I never actually submitted. Unfortunately, unforeseen circumstances didn't allow me to be able to finish it by the deadline. But that won't stop me from posting it here and allowing you all to enjoy it. **

**It's rated M for a reason, people. Do not read it unless you're mature enough to deal with what's being said. If you're not a fan of SS/HG, don't read it. I will not respond to flames and will probably just delete them unless there's actually something constructive being said. **

**Now that all that's out of the way (I really hate having to say stuff like that at the beginning of my stories...) enjoy the story!**

Hermione sat in her flat, book in hand trying to think of reasons why Severus would forget to meet her. Maybe he was caught up at work. He does often forget to eat and sleep when he's working on a potion or spell that's particularly interesting or difficult. On more than one occasion when she first started visiting his office for meals, Hermione had forced her way into his office and get him to eat despite his secretary telling her that he must not be disturbed.

If it were any normal time, she would have happily accepted that as the answer. With Lily in the picture, she couldn't help but feel like she had something to do with it. The frantic knocking at her door drew her out of her thoughts as Severus' muffled voice could be heard through the door.

"Hermione? Hermione, are you here?" Rising quickly, she went to let him in.

"Severus, are you alright?" His arms came around her, pulling her close.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to-" Hermione pulled away from him, hand pressing against his chest with a frown on her face.

"What?" His brow furrowed as she leaned in again, sniffing the robes he'd haphazardly put on just moments before.

"You smell like...flowers. Is that perfume?" Her eyes flicked up to his face, watching him blanch slightly and stutter for words. Inside her chest, she felt a hole. A huge pit sucking all manner of life giving necessities from her. She couldn't breathe, couldn't think. Her heart felt like it had just been ripped out or worse, shattered from the inside.

"You bastard," she whispered as she pulled her arms from his grasp. He watched her stare at him, eyes wide and wounded and felt his own heart breaking.

"No, Hermione, please. Listen to me. Lily just came to talk. That's all we did. We talked." Hermione's hands came up to her head, fingers pulling at the hair at her temples as she started shaking.

"You unimaginable bastard. This is why you missed dinner? This is why you left me sitting there, humiliated and alone for two hours? So you could be with her instead?" Her anger bubbled up within her, filling up the gaping void that had developed.

"Hermione, you're wrong. Just stop for a moment and listen to me." She sneered at him, slapping away the hand that extended towards her as she stumbled over the table that was behind her.

"Why should I?"

"You could at least give me the chance to explain!"

"Explain what, Severus? I know what you did! I know you fucked her! And all this time I thought- Well, clearly I'm not as bright as everyone says."

"No, you're wrong," Severus said again, watching her rage grow with each word he spoke. He didn't know what he was refuting, the fact that he had slept with Lily or that Hermione was any less bright than what she was credited for.

"So you deny it? Please, Severus. Tell me that I've got it all wrong, that you didn't fuck her." His silence had her straightening her spine, glaring at him with all the contempt she possessed. "Your silence says enough." Hermione felt her heart pounding as he stepped closer once more, a plea in his eyes. Her hand collided with the side of his face as she pulled her wand from her pocket.

"Get out of my house."

"I want you to listen to me first. Let me explain." The air around them crackled with the magic that she was putting off, her wounded pride and broken heart feeding her powers and electrifying the air around them.

"Explain what? Explain yourself when you got here and told me that you were sorry? Explain why you lied to me when you told me that all you and that slag did was talk? Explain why you stood me up because you wanted to get your fuck in somewhere else?" She laughed bitterly. "I think your words have done enough for one night, Severus. Get out." When he made no move to leave, she forced him. With a sweep of her arm, she pushed him out of her flat and slammed the door behind him. Another quick wave and the shades on all the windows were drawn, the frames locked and the wards strengthened.

Her breath coming in short pants, she clutched her chest. With Severus gone, her rage melted away leaving broken hearted agony in its place. Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes welled up with tears. She felt her knees hit the floor as a sob ripped its way out of her chest. She felt sick and frozen, dizzy and out of breath. Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed into the silence of her flat.

"Hermione! Please let me in! It wasn't like that! I didn't mean-" His words ended abruptly as a silencing charm was cast over her flat, blocking out the plea that was so unlike him. That, in and of itself should have told her something of his intentions. Her pride wouldn't allow it of her.

She was falling for him, she knew it now. And she thought all this time that he felt the same way towards her. But then Lily showed up and buggered it all up. Hermione should have known, she supposed, that she could never fight a ghost come back from the dead.

She needed to get away, go somewhere that didn't make her think of Severus and Lily every second of the day and she knew that it certainly wasn't here. Within twenty minutes, her bags were packed, Crookshanks was in his basket and there was a note left for Harry and Ginny when they started looking for her.

With a loud crack, she was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

**You guys are consistently surprising me. The response to chapter 1 of this story was AMAZING! Thank you so much for following/favoriting/subscribing to this story. I worked really hard on it and I hope that is reflected in the story itself. So, my darling readers, here is chapter 2! Enjoy!**

**Two Years Earlier**

Everyone always thinks the war ends with the final battle. Hell, Hermione certainly did. There was a part of her that knew that there would be more to come, even after Harry had done Voldemort in. She supposed, though she just didn't have any idea how much.

After the Battle at Hogwarts, everyone took a day to bury their dead and pay their respects. The Order of the Phoenix, at Harry's request, even buried all the Death Eaters and opposing forces.

After the ceremony, though, more strategizing began.

The Death Eaters had mostly fled to the mountains. The particularly crazed ones stayed in the immediate area to put up a fight. Within two months of the big battle, all the magical towns within 200 miles were free of the terrorists and they'd started planning attacks on the camps in the mountains. In 6 months, all the major camps were taken. The Order of the Phoenix had officially won the war.

Because of her brain and cleverness, Hermione often found herself in the war tent coming up with attack plans and routes through the mountains. And, to her chagrin, she often found herself alongside Severus. In the beginning, she'd put up a fuss to be taken away from Ron and Harry who were both still actively fighting in each little battle to "take down as many of those bloody wankers as possible." Hermione grimaced as she heard Ron's voice so clearly in her head saying those exact words.

Since Severus' attack from Nagini, he'd been taken off the front lines to heal and use his intel to give them a look into what the tentative power dynamic within the Death Eaters was now. Kingsley had informed him that he was more valuable at this point behind the lines than he would be in the field.

"Plus, don't forget Severus. You've been outed as a member to our side for months now. It would be suicide if you went back there now."

He was also assigned to develop more defensive and offensive spells and analyze any poisons they may come in contact with. And to his initial displeasure, he had gotten himself Hermione Granger as his laboratory assistant. It wasn't as though she was particularly irritating. Severus was a man of action. Admittedly covert and secretive action, but action nonetheless. Sitting back and doing nothing but develop spells and potions that would do nothing but become irrelevant by the end of the war was not, in his opinion, the best use of his time. The first time she came into the potions tent he told her, in no uncertain terms, that she wasn't needed and that she should go and braid her hair or whatever it was that silly little girls did.

"I know you're not pleased about this pairing, I'm not either. However we have our orders and there is no changing them so you might as well get used to having me around and putting me to use in a practical way. If you don't, I'll start organizing your personal chambers to pass the time." He gazed upon her, her chin jutting out with stubbornness and her arms crossed over her chest. He had spent 8 years watching her and in all those years her stubbornness never abated. If anything, it got stronger. Bloody Gryffindors.

"I should have suspected Kingsley would do something like this. Organize the potion supplies and if you would be ever so kind, straighten the notes on my desk." Hermione glanced at the papers strewn across the table-made-desk and sighed. It would take her the better part of the morning to file everything away. Luckily, Severus kept all the labels on all of his ingredients impeccably and would only take her an hour to organize and clean up.

"All the pages are dated and numbered. There's a cabinet over there that you can file them in." She looked at the large set of stacking drawers, relieved that he seemed to be somewhat prepared for organization. She sat down and pulled the first pile of papers toward her. Time to get to work. They silently worked in tandem that first day, hours rolling by as he scribbled more notes, added ingredients to the cauldron he had in front of him and Hermione exposed an inch of the desk at a time.

Straightening up and stretching her back, Hermione glanced at the wristwatch she'd taken to wearing. Surprised, she realized they'd both missed lunch. Right on cue Severus' stomach made grumbling noises. She glanced over at him with a smirk. For his part, he didn't even notice. Just kept thoughtfully scribbling, stirring and observing.

"Aren't you hungry?" she'd asked. He ignored her. She rolled her eyes and rose to get something to eat for herself. In the mess tent, she'd encountered Molly Weasley and asked for some food.

"Oh hello, Hermione dear! I was curious where you'd gotten off to."

"Kingsley has me helping Severus. I completely forgot to eat," Her mouth started watering as she watched Molly pile a slice of roast, a pile of mashed potatoes, green beans and corn as well as a biscuit, splashed with gravy.

"Are you taking a plate to Severus as well?" She was taken aback a bit, pausing as she took a bean off her plate.

"I didn't even think about it. He should be able to feed himself." Molly snorted.

"I hardly think so. He didn't get breakfast this morning. I don't think he's even noticed that almost the whole day has passed." Hermione nodded, humming thoughtfully with her fingers in her mouth.

"I might as well take him a plate too. I'm going back that way anyway." Loaded up and farewells spoken, Hermione made her way back to the potions tent.

"I brought you some food." He didn't even glance up. Frustrated, she put the plate down on top of the parchment he was writing so intently on. He glared up at her.

"I was working."

"That's nice. You need to eat." She placed his silverware beside the plate and went to sit down by his desk.

"Your timing is incredibly inconvenient." She looked over at him nonchalantly.

"You didn't eat breakfast, we both missed lunch and you need to eat if you're so hell-bent on working until you're dead. And," She fluttered her eyelashes and smiled at him annoyingly. "Since Kingsley made me your assistant, it is my duty to ensure that you remain healthy as well." She stuck her fork into her mouth and turned her attention back to her food.

He wouldn't admit to her that she was right. He hadn't noticed that he'd gone all day without eating. He woke up this morning and came straight to his little sanctuary, working on more projects and time sensitive potions. He wouldn't tell her that he was, indeed, starving and hadn't noticed it before food was placed before him. No, she didn't need the satisfaction of knowing that she was right yet again.

"Who cooked this?" he asked, picking up his fork and bringing a mouthful of steaming mashed potatoes to his mouth.

"Molly Weasley." He snorted as the potatoes passed his lips.

"Figures." Hermione glanced over at him, watching him eat with vigour. She stifled a giggle as she ate her own food in peace. Maybe, she thought to herself, this match wouldn't be so bad.


	3. Chapter 3

Every day, Hermione came to work in the potions tent with Severus. Every day, she brought him 3 meals along with her own. She organized everything for him, reminded him to do basic things to take care of himself (bathing, for example) and generally got completely underfoot.

Severus supposed he should be grateful to her for keeping him alive. He was certainly pleased with the fact that it was now infinitely easier to find his notes and refer to his archives. And it helped that there was another person in the room so that if someone were to overhear him muttering to himself, he could pass it off as conversation. For his part, he ignored her for the most part, a half-hearted thank you when given food, a new job for her to do every now and then. He wasn't much for personal conversation and luckily Hermione didn't feel the need to delve into it much.

Four weeks into their forced partnership, there was a raid that went wrong. The group that went out had missed their Portkey to get back to base as well as missed their rendezvous with the other half of their group. Among the missing group was Harry, Neville and Luna.

Severus noticed that she was severely distracted from her duties that day. She'd forgotten most of what he usually had her do every day and it was the last straw when he noticed they'd missed lunch before she did.

"Miss Granger, you should take a break. Go and get something to eat." She sat at his desk, staring at the papers before her.

"Hermione." She whispered.

"What?" He stated impatiently, the jar he held clapping loudly against the table. She looked at him, eyes full of worry and sadness.

"Please call me by my name. We are no longer in school and I am no longer your subordinate. We work together and you should call me by my first name." Unsure of how to respond, he just grunted and went back to his work.

"Do you ever worry about them?" she whispered softly. His gaze flicked over to hers briefly before returning to his work. She stared at him with wide eyes and tears making them shiny.

"Worry about whom Miss- uh, Hermione?"

"Anyone, everyone. I can't seem to help myself. Every time they leave, I want to rip my hair out. I'm afraid I'll never see them again. I can't help but wonder if I could have stopped something bad from happening if I went too. And now, Harry's gone missing and Luna and Neville and...What if it was my fault? What if I could have kept them here? What if I could have made the difference between them coming back and them dying?" Tears leaked from between her eyelashes as she looked to him for guidance and advice. Two things he didn't have.

"You can't know that. You'll never know that. You'll lose people that you love, berate yourself for not being there for them when they needed it the most and then, as the years go on you'll learn to live with the guilt and the self hatred until you can bury it under enough layers that you can ignore it with great proficiency."

"That's terrible." She sniffed, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

"That's war." His dark eyes fixed on hers. "Don't you think it was difficult for me to watch every person I fought to protect look at me like I was a disgusting thing because they all thought I was working for the wrong side? It hurt every time they went into battle against me or against the people they thought I was helping. It hurt every time one of them died. You learn to live with it, Hermione or you let it kill you." In that moment, she understood him better than she had in the last 8 years of having him as a professor.

"Anyway, they probably just pulled some foolish Gryffindor nonsense and were just late. I'm sure there's nothing to worry about." He turned back to his table, tending to the potion he was currently brewing as quiet fell between them save for the bubbling and crackling of flames.

"You meant Lily Potter, didn't you?" Her query was met with silence and she knew that she'd guessed correctly. His love for her spanned the whole of Harry's life and before. It was for Lily that Severus even began protecting her friend in the first place.

"I need more mandrake root. My stock is running low." With a nod, she turned back to the desk. Sharing time was over. He could visibly see that she was still worrying, biting her lip and often drifting off into distraction. She got through her work anyway.

Hours rolled by and Severus had gotten to the point in the potion he was working on where he could finally go to sleep. He looked over at Hermione who was studiously preparing ingredients for storage.

"Are you planning on working all night?" He murmured tiredly. She looked up at him, her paring knife held aloft.

"Just until I finished bottling these ingredients. There's not much left," Hermione said, turning back to her task. He raised his eyebrow at her before dismissing his concern. She was an adult now, she could do what she wanted.

"I expect to see you here in the morning, regardless of the time you went to sleep. Good night."

"Good night," She whispered. With a swirl of his cloak, he was gone.

When he reached his sparsely decorated tent, he sealed it off to the rest of camp and set an alarm for himself. The potion needed to sit for 5 hours which meant that it would be 4am when he needed to get back there to attend to it. Otherwise, it may explode. Or just catch fire. He wasn't particularly sure which at this juncture, but he wasn't exactly keen to find it out.

Stripping out of his cloak and outer jacket, he started preparing for bed. Perching on the edge of the cot, he pulled each of his shoes off, deep in thought. Hermione wasn't the only one who worried. He spent the last 20 years protecting the stupid boy who kept going out to put himself in harms way day after day. Of course he still worried for the little nitwit. He wasn't exactly bright so who knew what kind of foolish thing he would do to get himself killed. He also had that annoyingly prevalent hero's complex that made him relinquish sense to save whatever worthless moron got themselves into trouble in the first place. Severus slid in between the sheets and tucked his hands behind his head. Would it have been so difficult for him to admit to her that, yes, he worried and he distracted himself from that by drowning himself in his work. He was Severus Snape, after all. There was no need to show undeserving people his soft side.

Harumph, soft side. With a derisive snort, he rolled over and drifted off to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**You guys are all over this story! I'm SO glad you're liking it so much! Anyway, here's the next chapter. Enjoy, my lovelies! **

**XX Willow**

Her dreams are always the same, always tortured and painful.

They didn't always make sense, didn't even always have a reason. She was always chased. Always running, always feeling those cold, crawling fingers of terror gripping her chest and churning her stomach. The bodies of the people she'd felled always swam before her bringing a new wave of horror crashing through her.

She always woke up screaming.

This time she woke to hands on her shoulders, pulling her upright and calling her name.

"Hermione! Hermione wake up!"

Her eyes snapped open, landing on the dark face of her former professor. Her fingers clutched the sleeves of his robes as tears dripped over her lashes. She couldn't speak, couldn't even scream. Their faces haunted her. All of their faces.

Severus had temporarily forgotten about his potion when, upon entering the tent he heard the tortured screams of his assistant. He drew his wand and looked around, ready for whatever attack could take the former Gryffindor and well seasoned soldier down. Then he realized with a tug on his heart that it wasn't anything material attacking her. It was herself.

Her eyes were huge, lingering nightmares and tears poisoning them and forcing her to see something other than what was in front of her. He knew that she didn't see him kneeling before her. She couldn't see anything except the ghosts that haunted her.

"Their faces. All of their faces," she muttered under her breath, rocking slightly before him.

He paused for a moment, contemplating his next move.

Oh bugger, sod it all. With a rough tug, he pulled her into his arms. Her face pressed into his shoulder, tears staining his robes. He didn't rub her shoulders, didn't stroke her hair. He just held her tightly giving her the comfort of knowing that there was another person here, another face that wasn't going to haunt her but was there to help her.

Within a few moments, the trembling in her limbs stopped. She relaxed into his body, her face turning into his neck. He smelled surprisingly good, peppery and a little bit woodsy like the fires he often brews over. His grip never loosened and her arms came around his neck. She sniffed softly, subconsciously rubbing her cheek on his shoulder.

"Are you alright?" She nodded, sitting upright and rubbing her face with her hands.

He looked at her face, hands dropping as he cleared his throat.

"Did...I, uhm. I apologize for being forward. I hope you don't feel that I took advantage-"

She shook her head furiously and placed a hand on his arm.

"No, Severus. You didn't. I appreciate it. Really, I do." Hermione took a shaky breath, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Normally I just deal with it on my own so it was nice to have someone there just to be there." She blushed gently as she smiled.

"Thank you." He nodded, rising from the ground beside her. Straightening his cloak he glanced around the tent.

"Have you been here all night?" Hermione nodded, rubbing her eye with the heel of her hand.

"I refilled all your ingredients. Peeled the necessary ones. I must have nodded off recording them all. Has anyone heard anything from the missing group yet?"

With a huffing sigh, Severus pulled the potion he came to check on from its holding place. He noted that it was bubbling ominously and steaming slightly. He should add those dragon scales soon.

"Hermione, would you gather the dragon scales for me? The Ridgeback, if you don't mind. Quick as you can." Pulling on his gloves and arming himself with his wand and a large metal spoon, Severus started stirring it gently to calm it down.

"How many?"

"Four, right in my palm there."

Gently, she tapped 4 of the glistening onyx medallions into his hand and stepped away.

"A wise decision." With ever so much care, he flipped them into the mouth of the cauldron, one at a time. The surface popped slightly and hissed as they dissolved turning the potion bluer and bluer with each scale.

"All right?" Hermione queried as she noted the smoke dissipated and the potion itself started to sparkle translucently.

"Yes, it seems to have stabilized now. Interesting..." Hermione's brow furrowed.

"It stabilized the potion? Aren't Ridgeback scales known for their catalyzing effect and used mainly in explosive potions?"

"Yes, which is why this is particularly curious. Good memory, Miss-ahem, Hermione."

She smiled at his slip-up.

"Old habits die hard, hm Professor?"

He looked at her down his nose and sniffed in mild amusement.

"Indeed. Off you go. Get some breakfast or something. I'll need you back here to clean out some of my vials."

"But you never answered my question, sir."

With an exasperated sigh he shot a glare at her.

"They returned late last night. They're all fine. Go and get some food and let me tend to this potion."

Breathing a sigh of relief, a roll her eyes and smirk, Hermione stretched as she walked out of the tent.

No, working with ex-Professor Severus Snape wouldn't be so bad after all.


	5. Chapter 5

**There is quite literally nothing stopping me from posting this entire story in one go. Except for the fact that I want to keep some of you in suspense ;) I KNOW, I'M SO MEAN. **

**Enjoy, my little cupcakes 3**

**8 Months Later**

"I expect you all to have 14 inches written by Friday as well as your timelines of your assigned families completed." Hermione stood before her class, her chalk writing their assignments on the board as a reminder for their homework. She had tasked each student to research a magical family tree. She had taken the students who were of known Pureblood families and had them research Muggleborns and vice versa. Half-bloods were thrown into the mix wherever she saw fit, researching Muggleborns and Purebloods alike. Her theory behind this assignment was this: The more a person knew of what and who was around them, the more tolerant they may become.

"Professor Granger?"

"A question about the assignments?" Hermione motioned for her student to ask on.

"I find that I'm having some difficulty researching my assigned family." Carrie Tomlinson started. Hermione held a special fondness for this girl in her heart. She reminded Hermione of herself in many ways.

"That's because no one has accurate records of stupid Mudbloods." The bitter voice was soft but that didn't keep it from getting to Hermione's ears. Eamonn McCallister.

"Please repeat your last comment, Mr. McCallister." Hermione said in a tight, clipped voice. Her anger was not one that could be contained at this moment and her eyes held a challenge for the boy. He visibly blanched, swallowing hard. He knew, though, that he wouldn't be allowed to get away with this one.

"I-I said that no one has accurate records of Muggleborns, P-Professor," Eamonn reiterated quietly. Looking down her nose at him, Hermione sniffed and walked back toward her desk.

"100 points from Slytherin for that vile language in my classroom and another 50 points for lying about it. A detention each night for the next month as well, I should think." She spoke so calmly, so matter-of-factly despite her disgust and the insult of uttering those words in her classroom above all others. His eyebrows shot up into his hairline as he began to protest.

"Professor, I have Quidditch practices and a match! I cannot miss it!"

"Then you should have known better than to use that kind of language in my classroom. There will be no negotiating of this punishment, you will serve all of it and I'll hear no complaints lest you lose more points for your house. Dismissed."

She watched as her students filed out of her classroom. Fellow Slytherins chastised their classmate for losing them so many house points and being suspended from a game. It was moments like this that left Hermione questioning her decision to go into teaching and not into something more simple like curse breaking at the Ministry. Fortunately, the day was now over. She had no remaining duties for the evening and she knew she could turn to one person to help her unwind and take her mind off her problems.

Making her way to her chambers in the back of her classroom, her fingers found the amulet that hung around her neck. Severus had a similar one that he grudgingly kept in his trouser pockets. Hermione pressed her fingers against it with her eyes drifting closed, concentrating hard on getting his attention. After a few seconds, she released the amulet and she started on the buttons of her teaching robe. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her fireplace flare to life with green flame as Severus' head popped through the fire.

"Burning and vibrating? You really do want me to blow up the whole of the Ministry, don't you?" Irritation colored his words as he spoke without preamble. She slid her robes off her shoulders and smirked in his direction.

"You know that if it were any other way, you would completely ignore it. There's a reason I came up with this form of communication instead of going through that soft-spoken secretary of yours. She wouldn't interrupt you even if it were the Minister himself outside your door."

"Which in itself is part of the reason why I hired her. To keep things from disturbing me."

"Are you referring to me, Severus?" Hermione batted her eyes at the glowing embers that were his eyes and smiled.

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it. So closer to the point, to what do I owe the summons?"

"I'm finished for the day and it was terrible." Hermione's hands twisted her hair expertly into a tight chignon, her question implied. She'd never let him know that each time she played around the question she so longed to outwardly ask, it made tiny butterflies erupt in her stomach ever so slightly. No, he didn't need a new reason to think of her as a silly little girl. Not now that he's finally stopped looking at her as one.

"I'll finish up my work and I'll meet you there. Three Broomsticks or are we feeling more Leaky Cauldron?"

"I'm feeling a bit nostalgic tonight. Let's go into town. L'etoile. It's a place that I used to go to with my parents."

"I'll meet you there." Without further ado, he was gone.

They always met a half an hour after the call was finished. She would always arrive first and order their drinks. He would always arrive ten minutes late muttering about some potion that should have been put away better but his assistants were incompetent. She would point out that it was he who hired them and should have chosen better if they were so terrible. He would backtrack and say they weren't so bad.

Hermione found herself sitting at the bar of the restaurant, her fingers playing along the edges of the martini glass in front of her. Her mind drifted, as it often did, to moments she and Severus had shared together.

_"Fancy meeting you here. Who would have thought a high class ministry official would be caught slumming about in such a seedy place as the Leaky?" Hermione sauntered up to him that first time, leaning her forearms against the bar and smiling genuinely._

_"I could say the same to you, Professor Granger. Whatever would your students think should they find you in an establishment such as this?" He placed his drink down and turned toward her ever so slightly._

_"Honestly though, Severus. What are you doing here?"_

_She didn't mean the question as a criticism. She was curious. How many dozens of times had she gone to the Leaky Cauldron after classes were through just to get away from the suffocating memories of those stone walls and floors? How had they been able to avoid each other for 6 months?_

_"I've discovered that adjusting to this new life is a bit more difficult than I had originally anticipated," he grudgingly revealed. Honesty was something that didn't come easily for the former Slytherin and he swigged a mouthful of firewhiskey to wash the unfamiliar taste away._

_"I'll have one of what he's having," Hermione said to the barkeep. "I know what you mean. I thought it would be easy going back to Hogwarts. I was apparently very wrong."_

_And there they sat, hours rolling by as they sought familiarity in each other. It had been months between the breakup of camp and this chance encounter. Hermione hardly wanted to admit it, but she missed him. His surliness left something to be desired, but in it she could see the way he protected himself fiercely. His questions were polite but genuine. He cared for her. Whether that was in the way that he grew to care for Harry or in a different way entirely, she didn't know. All that she did know was he made her think harder than anyone else. He required her to be clever and witty and pithy and engaging. And he seemed to find her to be all of these things and more. She'd even made him laugh. A proper laugh._

_Gods, did she miss him._

Hermione smiled at the memory, recognizing the beginning of her infatuation with her former professor. She sunk her teeth into her lip as she tried to hide her smile. When this happened, she had no idea. She just knew that it wasn't something that she could just wish away, like she had with Ron.

She knew she'd grown to like Severus far more than she would ever have thought. But now, they were equals. She was no longer his student nor his assistant. They were friends, for all intents and purposes. Sometimes though, she would catch him watching her out of the corner of his eye with a small smile on his face that he didn't seem aware of.

"Like usual, my assistants are completely incompetent. I'm sorry I'm late."

Hermione smiled at him as he sat down beside her and slid his drink to him.

"It's a pattern. Don't worry about it. It's fine. I was just thinking."

He snorted

"When do you stop? There's always something whirling around in that brain of yours," he said, sipping his scotch on the rocks. He sighed slightly as it passed his lips, the only Muggle indulgence that he didn't scoff at. Their silence was comfortable, each reflecting on the day they just had and their own respective stresses. Severus glanced at Hermione out of the corner of his eye and noticed the frown that creased her brow.

"Was it really that bad? You seem quite shaken," he inquired softly, the glass brushing his lower lip as he spoke.

She sighed heavily, bringing the martini to her mouth and sipping heavily. His eyebrows raised, but he kept his silence.

"I had a student use the word 'mudblood' in my class today. He didn't direct it at anyone in particular, just relating to the project that I put forth to them."

"What was the project?"

"Researching and charting family trees. It would allow them to get to know the other branches of society and promote a further understanding of each other. To help this place heal after the bloody war that just raged for three decades." Another deep drink from her glass was followed by a frustrated sigh. "How am I supposed to get through to these kids? How am I supposed to undo years of conditioning to make them tolerant of each other?"

He regarded her quietly. He knew how much this hurt her. He knew how frustrated she was when she didn't see the results she was working so hard for. He knew how much she wanted to change the world around her, to make it a better place for her children when she chose to have them. His mouth got a bit dry with the thought of her heavy with child and he quickly steered his thoughts in the other direction. Clearing his throat, he turned toward her.

"You never know. You can't ever tell if you've gotten through to a child you're trying to teach a lesson or not. No matter if it's through kindness or hate. You can't make anyone tolerant. They have to do it themselves. I know you're trying. Don't try too hard."

"Even years later, I don't think I'll ever escape your tutelage, Severus." Her smile was gentle and genuine, her frown had relaxed. She was looking happy and light again.

"You are far from my student anymore, Hermione. Thank bloody goodness."

With that, the heavy mood was broken and her laughter rang out across the bar. Severus couldn't help but crack a smile. She was so lovely when she smiled. He tried not to notice, but she had grown up spectacularly. Her hair had softened from frizzy curls to sleek waves. Her body had filled out and become an adult's body. Her cleverness was no longer annoyingly irritating to him anymore but more engaging, entertaining. Their debates were frequent and light. Their arguments never lasted. They talked about everything. It was through talking to Hermione that he was finally learning how to be a real person with normal feelings.

The hours rolled by filled with humorous stories from their respective work. Hermione brought with her stories of his ex-coworkers and friends that he no longer saw every day. He brought stories of how his assistants almost blew themselves up every day. Updates were traded regarding their friends from the war and how they were getting on. Refills were ordered and refills for their refills, and still they sat and talked. The restaurant emptied around them and employees bounced around cleaning up. The hour slid from evening to night and soon they were the only ones left.

"Oh goodness, Severus we're the last ones here! We've got to go. I hate being 'those people' who don't leave until past closing." Hermione gathered up her handbag and jacket and slid off the stool she'd perched on. Severus rose and followed suit.

"I don't want to seem forward, but I really enjoy going out like this with you Severus."

He gave her a small smile.

"I quite enjoy it too. I really should get more social interactions than I have over the last 20 years."

Hermione nodded, looking down and biting her lip. She was thinking again. They paused outside the restaurant, his hands in his pockets and waited for her to spit it out already.

"Severus, I wanted to ask you something."

"Anything."

Her honey colored eyes met his and he could read the nerves in her. But he remained silent. He wouldn't push her or encourage her to confide in him. She would if she trusted him. If she didn't, she wouldn't.

"I, uh. I think you're aware of my, my developing feelings for you." She looked up at him. His face revealed nothing. Hermione smiled, pushed her hair back nervously and chuckled a bit.

"You know, this would be so much easier if I could tell what you were thinking as I'm saying this. Anyway, I was wondering if you would like to go to dinner with me."

He frowned, watching her twist a piece of her hair around her finger and glance anxiously up at him.

"...I thought we were just at dinner."

Hermione bit her lip, her shoulders deflating a touch as her hands fell to her sides. It broke his heart a little bit, seeing her so dejected.

"I meant as a date."

For a moment, Severus stood there in stunned silence. He'd been trying to work up the courage to ask her that himself though he was unsure if she shared his affections. Though now, it was proven that she did. Why, he hadn't the foggiest idea but she did.

There were many things to consider, if he allowed himself to think this through logically. She was 20 years his junior so people would certainly talk. She was his former student and that would also lead to more assumptions and rumors flying about. It wasn't for himself that he worried, but her. She's at the peak of her life and could have the pick of anyone she wished yet here she is, choosing him. He was almost speechless.

Severus was just standing there, staring at her. Hermione felt her face heat up as she looked down at her shoes. She should have known.

"I...um, you're not under any obligation. You don't have to say yes to me when you don't want to. I'm sorry I put you into this position. Please, don't worry about it. I've got to be getting back to the school anyway so I'll just-" She was walking away, embarrassed and rejected. She adjusted her handbag under her arm and cleared her throat. She tried not to let him see the tears in her eyes.

Severus' fingers closed around her arm, stopping her from going any farther.

"Yes."

"W-what?" She sniffed, as a tear dripped traitorously down her cheek. His thumb brushed it away, lessening the pressure around her arm.

"Yes, I would like to go to dinner with you. On a date."

"O-oh. Oh," She smiled. A jaw cracking, cat got the canary and the cream kind of smile.

"Are you free next Friday evening?"

Hermione nodded.

"I shall pick you up via floo at 8 o'clock then. I'll make a reservation someplace nice. I know you prefer muggle dining so I'll bear that in mind," Severus stated quite matter-of-factly. Apparently his silence was to allow him time to think.

"Alright then. It's a date." Her smile was truly a thing of beauty. And it was all directed right at him.

"It's a date."


	6. Chapter 6

**I know, I know. I've spoilt you by posting every other day for the first bunch of chapters, then I went and took a weekend. HOW DARE I?! So rude! Anyway, I'm just being sassy. None of you actually complained to me about waiting so long (because in the grand scheme of ffnet 3 days isn't so bad) but I felt bad none the less. I was moving, which is what I'm going to equate to the delay in not only chapter posts here, but working on other little goodies for you lovely little cupcakes. **

**So, without further ado, here is the date. Enjoy!**

They sat together, the restaurant quiet and dimly lit. Severus had ordered a bottle of wine for the table and they were waiting on their appetizers. Hermione had worn a lovely lavender dress, her hair pulled back into a braid down her back and he had worn a muggle suit for this night out. She reached out and picked up her wine glass, taking a sip before replacing it on the ring that it left on the table cloth.

The silence was horrible.

"Why is this so awkward?" Hermione asked softly, leaning across the table with her cheek on her hand

"I wasn't aware that it was awkward. Merely companionable silence," Severus replied, matter-of-factly.

She arched an eyebrow at him with a disbelieving smirk on her face.

"Your tone tells me that this is just as awkward for you as it is for me."

A small smile curved his lips up slightly.

"I was trying to keep it from being obvious," he confessed. "I suppose the pressure of the situation just put me on edge."

"Me too," Hermione said. "It's been far longer than I care to reveal since I've been on a proper date."

Interruption came in the form of their appetizers arriving. For Hermione, it was lovely bacon wrapped scallops. For Severus, a whitefish and beef tartare. The conversation flowed much more easily once food was in front of them. Hermione dripped some sauce on her chin and Severus joked about how messy an eater she was. And as karma would have it, he dripped a bit of dressing from his tartare onto his trousers.

"Oh, did I tell you yet? Harry and Ginny finally announced their engagement," Hermione said as the server took their plates away.

"Well it's about time. They've been terribly obvious about the whole thing for years. I'm surprised they didn't just elope earlier."

"You know Molly would never let them do that. Ginny's her only daughter and the only one who'll be marrying anytime soon. She's going to cook everything and decorate everything. It'll be massive," she laughed. They both knew how over the top Molly Weasley could get when she's planning things.

By the time their entrees came, Hermione was tossing her head back with laughter. She was even pulling a few chuckles from Severus.

"You were a terrible teacher, Severus. Let's be completely honest here. You acted like you hated all of us!"

Severus laughed, a deep, resonating sound that warmed Hermione to her bones.

"Well I wasn't doing it for my health," he retorted. "Dumbledore wanted to keep an eye on me and wanted it easy for me to keep an eye on Harry. I never wanted to be a teacher."

"You know your stuff though. I'll give you that. You just hate children."

"I don't hate all children. Just most children." He paused thoughtfully for a moment. "I don't think I would dislike your children."

Hermione choked on the water she had just sipped, sputtering in the most unladylike fashion as Severus just laughed at her.

"Are you alright?" he choked out between his bouts of uncontrollable amusement.

"I'm fine, just the thought of my children was a bit unexpected," she said tightly, her throat and nose burning. "What about your children? Wouldn't you like them?"

The table was suddenly quiet, Severus retreating deep into his thoughts once more.

"I don't know. I've never thought of it. I suppose I never entertained the possibility of having children of my own. Not at my age," he murmured. "Plus I can't imagine finding anyone who would want to have children with me anyway."

Hermione bit her lip but was saved a response by the arrival of their dessert; a shared slice of dulce de leche cake.

"Okay, if you could only have one for the rest of your life which would you pick? Chocolate or caramel?"

Severus wrinkled his nose at her question.

"Isn't the traditional question chocolate or vanilla?" he asked.

"Well I'm not very traditional," Hermione replied. "Now answer the question."

"Hm," Severus tapped his fork against his lip. Hermione watched it bounce there, surprised at how soft his lips looked. "I think I would have to say caramel. You could eat it in so many different ways. I don't think I would get tired of it as quickly as I would of chocolate."

"But chocolate can be in a lot of things too," she insisted. She loved playing the devil's advocate in their debates.

"But you can't have chocolate without it being dense and thick and really decadent," he reasoned. "Caramel can be thick and creamy like dulce de leche. It can be hard and salty like in brittle. It can be in between with the hard candies and the chews. Chocolate is just chocolate."

Hermione sat quietly, appraising his answer.

"I agree with you. Good logic, Severus. You could convince anyone."

"And that's why they pay me the big bucks," he grinned cheekily.

They sat quietly for a few minutes eating their cake, dueling for the pieces with the most frosting and giggling when frosting was batted onto each other's hands.

"I'm having a very good time tonight, Severus," Hermione said softly. She brought a bit off the end of the cake, her lips pursing around fork as it slid past her lips.

"As am I. I didn't expect to be enjoying myself so thoroughly," he murmured. "Perhaps we should do it again. Next week, perhaps?" Severus looked at her, his heart beating fast as he waited to hear her response.

"I would love to go on another date with you," she replied with a demure smile.

"Excellent."

Within a few minutes, the check was paid and they were out the door. Hermione's thin shawl didn't quite keep the chill away so Severus offered her his jacket. She liked the way it sat on her shoulders, the warmth of his body still clinging to the fabric. The restaurant was just a couple of blocks from a wizarding shop where they could floo back to Hogwarts and they walked casually down the road. When Hermione's heel got caught in the sidewalk, Severus took her arm to steady her. Neither of them were too keen on releasing each other, so they continued their walk, him with a gentle hand on her elbow. All too soon, they arrived in her dormitory back at Hogwarts.

"Well thank you for the lovely night," Hermione said as she turned to face him. She handed his jacket back to him, both hands grasping her handbag.

"It was an honor and a pleasure, I assure you," Severus responded. Refusing to give it further thought, his hand brushed her shoulder and trailed down to her elbow. With a small step forward, he pressed a chaste kiss to her cheek. "Good night, Hermione."

Before he had a chance to step back, her fingers tugged on his lapel and her lips pressed firmly against his. It was like an electric shock went through his body as his lips responded to her eager kiss. She quickly pulled back, cheeks pink and eyes alight.

"Good night, Severus."

He mentally shook himself, cleared his throat and tossed a handful of Floo powder into the fire. With another glance over his shoulder, he stepped into the fireplace. He spent the rest of his night going over those two kisses in his mind, smiling at nothing and thinking of Hermione.

**Daww, how cute! Thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

Every couple of weeks as their schedules allowed, Hermione and Ginny met in Diagon Alley to have coffee at a cafe that they started frequenting in school. They didn't see each other often in their day-to-day lives, so this filled their innate need for feminine interaction.

"I can't believe you would do that!" Ginny exclaimed, sitting down with her cup across from her friend. "You can't just send me an owl about how you and Severus are dating and then not say anything else about it!"

Hermione smiled over the rim of her cup, playing the demure girlfriend as she sipped her drink. She knew that the longer she delayed talking about her relationship, the more it would drive Ginny crazy.

"Hermione!"

"Alright, alright! I'll tell you!" Hermione laughed. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything!"

"I don't know what that means, Gin. You already know most of it. I just asked him to dinner one night and it just kept going."

"You asked him?"

"Yes I did! There's nothing wrong with me asking him!" Hermione replied defensively. "Anyway, I was tired of waiting."

"So, what do you think? It's been, what a month? Where is this going?" Ginny asked, her cheek perched on her hand as she leaned across the table.

"Three months, actually. And yeah, it's good," Hermione said thoughtfully. "Really good, actually. We talk a lot. We stop by each other's work almost every day. I feel like it's right, Gin. I never felt like it was right with Ron or anyone else I've dated. I'm just comfortable being around him. He isn't intimidated by how smart I am. We argue and debate, and then move on to another topic. He makes me feel beautiful and special, but ordinary at the same time. He doesn't treat me like I'm someone famous. He just treats me like a woman."

Ginny knew how important it was for Hermione to feel normal. All through school, she was the smart, perfect one and treated thusly. After school, she was part of the Golden Trio and a hero to the Wizarding World. Everything she did publically was newsworthy. She was invited to parties and galas, awards ceremonies and dedications. Harry and Ron had excuses with their rigorous Auror training, extensive travel for their jobs, and mountains of paperwork. Hermione on the other hand was a teacher. She had weekends off and most evenings to herself. If someone really wanted to ensure that she would be at an event, they just had to ask Minerva what Hermione's schedule was, and Hermione would all of a sudden find her schedule cleared and an obligation to attend a party she had no desire to go to.

It was impressive that their relationship has stayed quiet for so long, and Ginny took that as a sign that it was serious.

"Do you love him?" the redhead asked softly.

Hermione thought for a moment, her teeth worrying her lip.

Do I love him? she asked herself. She'd never felt as comfortable with anyone as she did with him. She was herself and he allowed it. He made her feel like life after the war wasn't some far fetched dream that would take years and years to reach like she did when she was with Ron. She could see herself having his children and raising a family with him. She found that she wanted the things that he could offer her and would be happy. He was gentle and kind, patient from his trade as a potions master and teacher for so many years. There was very little that she didn't see herself doing with him.

"I...don't know. Maybe," Hermione responded with a grin. "I think I do, but I'm not sure."

"Have you had sex with him yet?"

"Ginny!"

"What?" Ginny asked with a lecherous smile. "We all want to know what's under our elusive Potions master's robes."

"You're disgusting, Gin," Hermione said with a laugh. "And no, we haven't had sex yet. We're waiting to see if this is something serious before we do that."

"You're just scared, aren't you?"

"Terrified," Hermione admitted. "What if I'm not good enough? What if I disappoint him or something? I mean, he must have much more experience than I do."

"You'll be fine, hon," Ginny said with a pat on her friend's hand. "You're Hermione Granger. Everything comes naturally to you. Don't over think it and you'll be just fine."

"Mmm," Hermione sipped her coffee, not quite believing her friend. "He's been asked to go to Romania for a few weeks to do some work. I suppose spending time away from each other is the best way for us to know if this is something that'll last or not."

"How long will he be gone?"

"About a month."

"Will he be back to take you to the wedding?"

Hermione nodded.

"He should be back long before that. He promised that he would escort me so I'd better not accept any other invitations."

Ginny smiled, bringing her cup to her lips.

"Good man."

* * *

It was the eve of Severus' departure and they were sitting on the floor of her room, a bottle of wine half gone and their homemade cheese plate sitting between them.

"Okay, now cover your eyes," Hermione commanded. Severus looked at her dubiously before slowly bringing his hand over his eyelids, peeking surreptitiously through his fingers. Hermione laughed before bringing her own hand to cover his. "No, cover them!"

"Okay, okay! They're covered!"

"Open your mouth."

His lips barely parted.

"More."

The crack between his lips widened further. With a smirk, Hermione loaded up a grape with a piece of bleu cheese before quickly slipping it between his lips.

"Now chew."

"Ugh! Gods, that's awful!" he exclaimed, taking a swig of wine and shoving a piece of the French baguette beside him into his mouth. Meanwhile, Hermione was practically rolling around on the floor, cackling from her little trick.

"What was that?"

"Bleu cheese. Terrible stuff by itself. It's magnificent on salads and pizza though."

"I don't believe you. That horrid stuff can't possibly be any good in anything but the compost," Severus muttered, wiping his tongue on a napkin.

As her laughter subsided, Hermione sipped her wine, watching him over the rim of the glass. She couldn't help but feel a bit melancholy about his departure. He was scheduled to go for only three weeks, but was warned that it may wind up being longer. She didn't say anything, but she desperately hoped that it wouldn't be that long.

"Stop worrying," he said softly. "I'll be back soon."

"I know. I'll just miss you," she replied.

Severus leaned over, brushing a lock of her hair behind her ear and pressed a kiss to her temple. Hermione sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder, shuffling closer still. He turned his face toward the top of her head, inhaling the scent of her hair so that he may remember it during his time away.

Internally, he was chastising himself for acting so soft. He was only to be gone for a few weeks. There was no need to get so worked up over such a short amount of time. But he found that he didn't want to leave as much as he wanted to stay and that had all to do with her. He wanted to spend his days talking with her and working with her, spend his nights cuddling with her by the fire debating something they experienced during the day. The only reason he would want to go to Romania would be if she were going with him. His fingers brushed down her arm as he felt her fingers close around his bicep.

"I'm going to miss you too, Hermione," he whispered. "I'll be back before you know it."

The clock struck 11 over her mantle. With a resigned sigh, they separated as he rose to leave. He swung his cloak over his shoulders and turned toward Hermione. The firelight bathed her features in golden light, her curls glinting with copper and her cheeks rosy. It seemed that each time he looked at her, she simply became more and more beautiful.

"I must go. My Portkey is early in the morning and I still need to pack," he murmured, leaning down and pressing a kiss to her forehead. He straightened and turned towards the fireplace.

"Severus."

Her words halted him and just as he turned back to face her, her arms went around his neck. Her lips were pressed urgently against his, fingers knotted into his hair. Her entire body was pressed flush against his and his hands held her waist tightly against him, not a breath of air between them. Her tongue brushed against his lip, stroking against his in a desperate fashion. She felt the desire growing in her belly with each touch of their tongues, every tug his fingers made in her hair. She dragged breath in through her nose, unwilling to separate from his mouth even for something as necessary as that.

Sooner than she would have liked, their lips pulled apart and their foreheads pressed together. Her gaze met his and she saw the naked desire in his eyes, his ragged breath brushing her damp lips.

"I love you."

His expression didn't change a bit as her words left her lips. Their breaths mingled as his other hand came up to cup her cheek.

"I love you too."

Their lips met softly this time, languidly caressing against each other. It was a kiss of lovers, of care and understanding. It was a kiss that was seared into Hermione's heart and told Severus that he would always return to this woman, no matter what.

"I really must go, Hermione," Severus said roughly after pulling away.

Hermione bit her lip and was toying with a button on his shirt.

"Are you sure? You could stay here with me tonight."

With a groan, he pulled her flush against his body again.

"I would love to," Severus replied.

With barely an ounce of effort, Severus lifted her to wrap her legs around his waist. Her lips pressed against his again as she felt the heat of his belly against her. His hands came up and pushed her cardigan off her shoulders, revealing her braless figure through the skimpy tank top she wore underneath.

Confident, though unguided, Severus brought the couple the edge of Hermione's bed where he dropped her onto the comforter. She laughed and looked up at him through heavily lidded eyes. Her skirt had bunched itself up around the top of her thighs exposing a long line of pale flesh interrupted only by the black garter belt holding up her stockings. Her breasts heaved against her top, nipples showing clearly through the thin material and making his mouth water. Her reddened lips were parted, and her cheeks flushed from the passionate kisses.

"You're wearing far too many clothes, Severus."

Her soft words broke him out of his shameless ogling, and with sure fingers, he slid off his overcoat and started unbuttoning his waistcoat. He hooked his thumbs into his suspenders as Hermione rose up onto her knees to aid in the removal of his shirt. With a growl of impatience, she gripped each side of his shirt and pulled. The click of his buttons hitting the floor caused her to grin and run a fingernail down the center of his chest. He hissed at the sensitivity, shivering slightly.

Her tank top was the next to go. Her breasts were beautiful. They were pert and full, with nipples the color of ripe peaches. His thumb caressed the firm nub, causing a shiver of delight to course through her body. Her back arched enticingly as he closed his mouth around the little pebble, his tongue laving across the top as his teeth played against her areola. She was so lost in sensations; she almost didn't notice her skirt being pulled down her legs and her panties being removed underneath her garter.

"You may leave this on. I quite like the way it looks on you," Severus murmured huskily, his finger running along the edge of her garter belt.

With a cheeky smirk, Hermione rolled flipped them over, leaving Severus prone on his back. Her fingers started undoing the buttons on his trousers and yanked them off roughly. Her hand wrapped around the hard length of his shaft without hesitation, pulling and tugging as her thumb swiped across the head. He groaned at the sensation of her soft palm rubbing the underside and he gasped when he felt her fingers on his balls.

"Gods, Hermione. That's so...ungh! Oh fuuuuuuuck..." Severus moaned as her mouth descended on his cock. His hips bucked slightly as his the tip of his cock bumped against the back of her throat. His fingers dove deep in her hair, holding her head down against him as her rumbling moans sent shockwaves through his balls.

Without a word, he pulled her up off of him and flipped them over in one fluid motion. His lips pressed hard against hers as he hooked her legs over his elbows and slid his forearms under her shoulders. He surveyed her vulnerable position with a grin before placing his purple, swollen tip against her soaking wet core. With a slow, gentle press of his hips, the head of his cock slipped into her, causing them both to moan appreciatively.

"Ungh, you are so tight!" he murmured against her ear, as he plunged his cock deep into her, each stroke rubbing against her g-spot. Her head flung back against the pillow as her hips gyrated beneath him, urging him to move again.

"God, I need you Severus. Please, move!" His fingers bit into her shoulders as his hips pistoned roughly forward and back, adopting a fast and ferocious pace. He brought his hands around to pluck at her nipples as his lips nibbled against her neck. His warm breath caused tingles to go across her skin, her back arched further to press her breasts into his hands. His cock filled her so perfectly, stroked against her so completely, that she felt her climax approaching quickly. Her fingers clenched on his shoulders, nails biting into his skin as she let out a soft keen. "Ugh, so good, Severus! So good! I'm gonna come, yes!"

He felt her walls quiver around him as her body tensed, preparing for her release. He knew he wouldn't last much longer either and was determined to bring her first. With renewed vigour, he thrust harder and, deeper which earned him a squeal of pleasure from the woman beneath him. He watched as her mouth fell open, little gasps making her breasts bounce tantalisingly, her eyes rolling back in her head. He felt her tense upon his length as she wailed her orgasm, back arching further than it had yet, her legs shaking over his arms. He felt her nails dig deeper into his skin as his balls tightened.

"Yes, Hermione, yes!" He released himself deep within her with a final thrust, his breath coming in short pants in time with each spurt of come. A final shudder went through his body as his arms gave out. He nestled his face into the crook of her neck as he willed his breathing to slow. After a moment, he rolled himself off to the side and gathered her into his arms.

"You're amazing," he whispered into her hair.

"Mmm, you are too," she murmured back, a pleased smile on her face. She snuggled herself against him as her eyes drifted closed. His fingers caressed her arm and he pressed a kiss against the top of her head, completely content. Within moments, they had both dozed off in their blissful aftermath.

**Oh dear. Oh me, oh my. **

**Well then. **

**Yes. **

**XX Willow**


	8. Chapter 8

**Yes, I know that I'm going so slowly and taking such a long time updating. I'm sorry. I'm just going to give you a little hint, leaving me reviews just saying "Updateeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee" will not make me update faster, regardless of whether or not I have the chapters prewritten or not. Just saying. **

**Anyway, enjoy!**

**6 Months Later**

The wedding was beautiful. Harry had his tuxedo on, bow tie crooked, grinning like an idiot. Ginny wore a sleek silk dress, hugging her curves. Her hair was pinned up on both sides, flowing down her back in a wave of coppery fire. There was a crown of flowers around her hair.

Hermione sat beside Severus, sipping her champagne and laughing at the twins. Severus was reserved as ever. It only took a person who knew him to see how relaxed he was and how much he was enjoying himself. His arm rested along the back of Hermione's chair. His eyes darted to her every time she tossed her head back with a laugh. Dinner was simple, and her fingers frequently brushed his and a demure smile accompanied.

"I don't think I've seen her this happy," Molly whispered to Tonks as she watched Hermione. They watched from across the tent as Severus whispered something into Hermione's ear causing her to blush and giggle.

"Well they've been together for months now, haven't they? They ought to be happy. God knows the two of them deserve it." Tonks took Teddy's napkin and wiped his face with it.

"Mum!" Teddy moaned, squirming his face away from her hand.

"Hush, and sit still."

"I suppose you're right. Doesn't it seem just a little bit odd to you?" Molly brought her fork to her mouth, eyes never wavering from the couple across the room.

"Of course they're odd. But what does it matter? We've all seen more than our fair share of odd around here in the war. They're happy. That's all that matters."

Molly nodded, the quiet indicating further thought.

"I don't think I've ever seen him this happy either. I didn't really know him before all of this but I have never seen him this happy. Not once," Molly sighed, before smiling. "This is good. He should have settled down long ago and it looks like she's the one who's doing it. I'm pleased for them both."

"And now, ladies and gentlemen it's time for the bride and groom's first dance."

Harry and Ginny rose from their seats, hand in hand and glided down to the dance floor. Their arms wrapped around each other as the music flowed softly and sweetly. You could tell by watching them that they didn't see any other person in the room but each other.

Severus looked at Hermione, her eyes full of tears. Her fingers were pressed against her lips. Her best friends were marrying their soul mate. She couldn't have been happier. Severus' thumb brushed the top of her shoulder and she turned her face towards his. He smiled at her, pressing a gentle kiss to her temple.

"They're so beautiful together," Hermione whispered, nestling herself against his shoulder.

"Mmm, it's good that they ended up together. Seem to be suited quite well."

"They knew what to wait for. They knew what they wanted."

Ginny twirled in Harry's arms, her skirt flaring out as his hand wrapped around her waist. Slowly, led by Tonks and Remus, people started getting up and dancing along the edges of the dance floor. Harry and Ginny still had most of the floor by far, but now couples were scattered about swaying to the soft music.

"Would you do me the honor?"

Severus held his hand out to her, and with a smile, she took it. He guided them out onto the floor before placing his hand gently on her waist. The violin and the piano wrapped around each other, their songs melding together to create a perfect, beautiful harmony. Hermione nestled her forehead into the crook of his shoulder and closed her eyes in bliss.

"You're a good dancer."

Severus smiled into her hair before pulling back slightly to look at her face.

"You sound surprised."

"Well I wasn't aware of how much dance practice you got over the years."

He rolled his eyes at her and she tucked her head back onto his shoulder.

"You forget, those were the pureblood elite. Rich and glamorous. They loved throwing balls and parties for themselves, just because they could."

Hermione looked up at him, eyes a little sad.

"Let's not talk about this now. It's not important. Let's just dance."

"Then dance, we shall."

The night lingered on, the music livelier, and the drinks kept flowing. The whole bridal party, Hermione included, were set to the task of getting everyone suitably inebriated and keeping them there. Hermione found herself carrying around one bottle of wine and another of firewhisky for most of the night, refilling glasses as she mingled and occasionally being encouraged to take her own. Even Severus had indulged quite a bit more than he usually did.

When Ginny threw the bouquet, as per tradition, there was a mad scramble, and surprisingly enough, it was Hermione who caught it. She smiled, laughed, and even humored a few rumors about her and Severus being the next to tie the knot. She just blushed and smiled, neither confirming nor denying.

Before they all knew it, Harry and Ginny were off on their honeymoon and the party was coming to a close. They were planning on taking a tour of southern Europe starting in Spain, looping up into France and back down into Italy. They would be gone for a month and a half. Everyone saw them off with a handful of rice and confetti and a cheer for good luck.

Hermione had her arm around Severus' waist leaning heavily on him, laughing at the confetti caught in her hair. The crowd started dispersing and soon they were among the last few standing by the door. She turned to face him, eyes alight with happiness. His fingers brushed her hair back from her face before cupping her cheek and bringing his lips to hers. Her eyelids drooped shut as her lips moved against his, soft and pliant but urgent and demanding. His fingers knotted into her hair as she pressed her body against his. Severus felt her tongue brush against his lip and his mouth opened to her, allowing her to dip beyond his lips.

His lips were like fire against hers. Her desire flared as she leaned into him, pressing harder against his obvious lust for her. Her heart was racing and her mind was whirling. She couldn't breathe, but she hadn't the slightest desire to do so. If she stopped kissing him, she would surely drown. If she paused for even a moment, she would wake up and this would all be gone because surely a kiss like this must be otherworldly. Feelings like this surely couldn't exist within reality.

They separated, breathing heavily and lips red. They stared straight at each other, blind to everything else around them.

"Come with me."

"Where?" Hermione asked breathily. At this point, she would go anywhere.

"To my flat. Spend the night with me."

"Okay."

There wasn't a moment's worth of hesitation in her voice. She knew he wanted this as much as she did. They went back into the tent to gather up their belongings and say brief farewells. They were walking farther out into the field and each stumbling slightly. Ginny, ever the planner, knew her guests wouldn't be in any shape to Apparate home and had arranged for various carriages to take them all to wherever they needed to go. Severus and Hermione piled into one of them and were off.

As soon as the doors closed behind them, their lips were upon each other. Hermione's fingers entwined with his dark strands as his hands gripped her waist. This kiss, like the other, was blazing. It was full of fire and passion and desire. His teeth nipped at her lower lip before his tongue soothed the ache. She gave a little moan before swinging her leg over his, straddling him in the carriage. His lips moved down her jawline, nipping and sucking at her neck. They were jarred back to reality when the carriage stopped outside of his building. Hermione quickly dismounted Severus' lap and they both stepped out, laughing.

"I can't believe we just did that!" Hermione laughed, blushing bright red and walking arm in arm with Severus.

"I had no problem with it whatsoever," Severus murmured, pressing another kiss to her temple and tickling her gently.

"Ah! Severus, stop it!" Hermione screeched, jumping away from him and almost running into someone on the street.

"Oh, pardon me! I'm so sorry!" She apologized, turning and looking at the woman who stood frozen on the sidewalk. Her flaming red hair was tied up in a messy ponytail and her lips were curving up into a gentle smile. Her eyes, however weren't on Hermione at all. They were fixed on the man behind her.

"Severus. Is that really you?"

Hermione turned back to Severus, who was standing there silent. His eyes were wide and his mouth agape.

"Hey, are you alright? You look like you've just seen a ghost," Hermione asked, hand on his forearm.

Still silent, he stepped forward and gingerly placed his hand on the stranger's shoulder. Her hand came up and gripped his, tears forming in her eyes as the smile spread further across her face.

"Hello Sev. I've missed you."

"Gods, you're real. You're really real," He murmured, his fingers pressing hard against her flesh before releasing her and stepping back. "How?"

The stranger shook her head.

"I don't know."

Hermione stared at the two of them, her heart sinking. The woman was disturbingly familiar but she just couldn't put her finger on who she was. There was something about her that she knew that she'd seen thousands of times. Hundreds of thousands of times. When finally her eyes fell upon Hermione, she knew who she was.

"Oh Merlin, Lily Potter?"


	9. Chapter 9

**Hm, I wonder how everyone is going to react to this little twist. **

**Enjoy!**

Hermione's mind was whirling. Lily Potter. This was Lily Potter standing in front of her, real as anything. But it couldn't be. She died over twenty years ago, but here she was, young as the day she died. Lily looked between the two stunned people before her, her smile belying her amusement.

"So, are you both just going to stare at me?"

"Well, what do you expect? A person is standing in front of us who we all know has been dead for over twenty years," Hermione responded, no anger or harshness in her words.

Lily blushed a bit, tucking a wayward piece of hair behind her ear.

"That's true, I should have expected that," she grinned. "Sorry, I don't think I know you,"

The redhead held her hand out to Hermione, shaking it with a firm but gentle grip.

"Hermione Granger. I'm best friends with your son."

Lily's eyes softened, tears welling up in them. She clearly wasn't prepared for that kind of information, one of the first people she'd met again being someone so close to the child she gave her life for.

"Harry. How is he?"

"He's on his honeymoon and won't be returning for another month and a half," Severus snapped. His sharp response drew the eyes of both of the women before him.

To say he was angry would have been an understatement. His entire body was rigid, his mouth a thin line and his eyes were blazing. He wasn't just angry, he was seething.

"How long have you been back?" he asked.

Lily shook her head, her smile sliding off her face,

"A year and a half or so."

"A year and a half?! Why are you just coming back now?" Severus hissed, his soft voice dripping with venom.

"Can we not talk about this here on the street?" Lily asked, her voice small. She clearly wasn't used to Severus' wrath being directed at her.

Hermione placed her hand on Severus' arm trying to calm him down a bit.

"Severus, please. She's clearly disoriented. We don't know what's happened to her so it's unfair to judge her right now. Let her explain," Hermione whispered, smiling over at Lily.

"You two clearly have things you need to talk about. It's been a long time and I know Severus has questions that need answering. I'll just head home and leave you two alone."

"No, you don't have to go. Lily and I can speak another time," Severus stated firmly.

Lily looked down, clearly embarrassed and Hermione shook her head.

"You have questions that need answers. Lily needs information. She's been gone for a long time, Severus. Much has changed and she probably doesn't really know what's going on right now. Speak with her, we can spend time together another night."

Hermione stood on her toes and pressed a kiss against his cheek.

"It's good to meet you, Lily, and welcome back."

Hermione smiled warmly, squeezing the other woman's arm before going down the street to Disapparate in the alley.

"Well," Lily started. "Hermione was absolutely lovely. How long have you been seeing her?" When Severus didn't respond, she decided to take the conversation in a different direction.

"So, twenty years huh? You look really good, Sev."

"You look quite lively for a corpse too, Lily."

She sighed, rubbing her eyes and looking at him hard.

"Sev, just stop it. I know it's hard for you, me coming back like this. I know you're angry that I haven't come to see you before now and I'm sorry. Can we please just go somewhere and talk? Do you live here? Is this your building?"

"There's a bar down the street. We can go there," Severus replied curtly. Without waiting for her, he turned on his heels and marched away.

Lily skipped a step and caught up with him, walking by his side in silence. Once they were seated at a small booth in the corner of the bar, Lily started talking.

"So you must have questions. Go ahead. Shoot."

Severus crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at her across the table.

"How?"

Lily smiled sadly, taking a breath.

"I remember everything up until the day I died. After that, I only remember a couple of moments when my spirit was tied to something big. Like the day Harry went into the forest to face Voldemort. I remember that day quite clearly and putting that together with some general research that I did on the Resurrection Stone, I think I've pieced together what happened," Lily said, pausing to sip her beer before continuing.

"When I died, well…sort of died, a piece of my spirit attached to Harry along with the Dark Lord's. No one knew because my physical body was gone, just like Voldemort's. Harry could probably could sensed my presence, but because I wasn't as angry or hateful, he didn't notice. I was drowned out. Anyway, I was standing on the Resurrection Stone when Harry was brought back. Between whatever magic he used to come back from the dead, the magic of the Resurrection Stone and the release of the Horcrux I had unknowingly made on my son, I came back too, in essence."

"Where did you go?" His face was impassive and his questions were to the point. He was interrogating her for all it was worth, getting all the facts that she had before passing any kind of judgement.

"I wound up in the place where I died. Harry's bedroom in Godric's Hollow. Luckily it was late at night and I could just sneak out of the house without raising an alarm," Lily said, looking down at her hands. "It's a little girl's bedroom now. All pink and flowers. I missed that with Harry."

"And after?"

Lily shrugged, running a hand through her hair. For the first time, Severus noticed she wasn't wearing her wedding ring.

"I was around. Hopping from abandoned house to abandoned house. It was wartime, or so I gathered, so there were plenty to choose from. I'd also hoped that Remus wasn't using the Shrieking Shack anymore so I stayed there for a bit too. I didn't know who I could see, who was even alive anymore, or who was still loyal to the Order so I couldn't very well go and make myself known anywhere. Harry was still the target of everything, all the attacks, and violence. I would have been the perfect bargaining chip for them to get something out of you all while taking Harry out of the equation by making him desperate. And I didn't want to be in chains the first time he saw me."

"And me, Lily? Why didn't you come see me?" Severus asked softly. He couldn't fault her logic for staying away from Harry. If she had been caught, that boy surely would have done anything in his power to get her back once he realized that Lily was, in fact, real. But him? She should have come and seen him, at the very least. She knew the extent of his feelings for her and frankly, it hurt that she didn't at least try to contact him. He could have helped her. He could have hidden her until it was safe for her to make herself known and maybe she could have met her son sooner. Now it was too late.

She reached across the table and gripped his hand in hers. Severus tried to draw back, but she wouldn't let him.

"I wanted to, Sev. I really did. How was I to know though? You were so deep in it when Harry was a baby. A lot happens in twenty years. I didn't know which side you chose."

Severus jerked his hand out of her grasp, his heart sinking. She didn't trust him. That's what this whole thing boiled down to. She didn't trust him before she died, she didn't trust him when she came back, and she didn't trust him now.

"So here you are, now that the danger has passed, wanting to just be let back in like nothing ever happened? How do you expect your story to be received, Lily? How do you think Remus and Molly and Arthur and Harry will feel when they find out you've been hiding out for over a year before coming to see any of us? That you don't really trust any of us after rising from the dead?"

"Severus that's not what I said!" Lily exclaimed, her words laced with hurt.

"That's exactly what your story sounded like to me," Severus hissed. "And how could you make Harry wait? He hasn't seen you for his entire life, Lily. I see your logic, but you were selfish and inconsiderate to the people who loved you and missed you."

"I'm sorry. I was doing what I thought was the safest. I didn't enjoy it, hiding out in run down old houses, stealing food and transfiguring myself to stay hidden. I did what I had to survive in a world where I had no information whatsoever. Don't criticize me, Severus. You would have done exactly the same thing."

Tension was thick in the air. Neither Severus nor Lily was willing to allow the other any concessions. They were both hurt and angry and taking it out on each other.

"What do you want, Lily? Why did you come to me now?"

She looked down at the table, her nail shredding the corner of her napkin.

"I missed you. I wanted to see you. I wasn't completely honest when I was alive with you about how I felt back then. Now James is dead and you're here. I wanted to see if you still felt the same way for me that you did then."

Severus' jaw was clenched. His eyes were devoid of emotion. His hands were fists on his knees.

"You wanted to see if I still loved you? That's why you came to see me? Not because you missed me and you needed a friend-"

"Severus I did miss you!"

"…but because you wanted to find a replacement for your husband?" Severus said with a dangerous hiss that made Lily sit back in the booth.

"That's not-"

"Well done, Lily. Well done." Severus rose from the booth and Lily could practically see his anger.

"Severus please, hear me out."

"I do believe you've said enough tonight."

With a stiff bow and a sweep of his cloak, he left Lily sitting in the booth alone.

**Oh cripes! The tension increases. Anyone ever remember seeing Sev this angry before? I sure don't. My inner drama maniac is jumping around in glee right now. **


	10. Chapter 10

Halfway through her last class of the morning, Hermione received Severus' owl. With a quick scan of the note and a scribbled reply, she'd sent it off again with barely a disturbance in class. Her students didn't notice a thing and class flowed on seamlessly. Inside, however, Hermione was a nervous wreck. Who knew five words would be enough to rattle her and set her heart racing?

_**I need to see you.**_

_I have a break at 9:15._

These simple words set her to thinking the worst and making her just a little bit jumpy. She even wound up dismissing her class early because she wanted to make sure that she would have the privacy she needed. As soon as she'd gotten to her chambers, the fireplace flared green and Severus' face popped through.

"May I come through?"

"Of course, come on," Hermione responded. She slipped her teaching robe off and took a seat on her bed, gesturing for him to take the chair at her desk.

"Is everything alright?"

He sat down heavily in the chair, rubbing his eyes and settling his elbows on his knees. He looked worn and tired, like he hadn't slept all night. He'd probably been pacing along the length of his flat, back and forth all night except for when he was sitting and brooding in silence. He took a long moment to begin to speak and Hermione just waited in silence.

"I spoke with Lily last night."

"I know."

"She told me what happened to her."

"Okay. Do you want to tell me?"

He sighed heavily and scratched the back of his head. His eyes were weary and he looked confused.

"A combination of a Horcrux, the Resurrection Stone and whatever magic Harry used to come back from the dead."

"Wait, a Horcrux?"

Severus waved his hand, dismissing it.

"It's not of import. What we have to deal with now is that she's back and it looks as though she's here to stay."

Hermione's mind was already turning over possibilities concerning a Horcrux-Resurrection Stone combination. It was a moment before she realized that Severus didn't come all this way to tell her that.

"What else, Severus?"

He looked up at her with pained eyes.

"She wants another chance," he said softly.

Hermione's heart skipped a beat and was all of a sudden racing at the same time.

"Another chance at what?" she asked.

"With me. She wants to try to have a relationship with me."

Hermione couldn't breathe. Her lungs wouldn't pull air in and her heart was fit to pound right out of her chest. She twisted her fingers together in her lap to keep him from seeing how badly they were shaking, and her mouth had gone horribly dry and hot.

"Oh," she murmured, her voice steadier than she thought it would be. She felt a great chasm open up inside her chest as she looked at the man she was falling in love with. Her heart ached at how distraught, confused, and hurt he looked. But perhaps what hurt the most was the fact that he wouldn't be feeling any of those things if he didn't still love Lily Potter.

"And how do you feel?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean, Severus. Don't make me ask it."

He ran his hand down his face once more, taking care to rub the heel of his hand into his eyes. He was weary and Hermione wished there was something she could do to make him feel better or comfort him in some way. Despite the fact that this conversation was ripping her heart to shreds, she still cared for him. She still wanted him to be happy.

"I don't know."

"Do you love her?"

"Hermione, I don't know," he growled, exasperated and exhausted. "I care about _you_. You must know that. But she's here again, standing in front of me like the last twenty years had never happened and it's confusing."

Hermione sank her teeth into the inside of her cheek to keep the tears at bay. She didn't want to show him her weakness. She didn't want to sway him in either direction. If there was anything worse than losing someone, it was keeping them through force. She wasn't going to do that to Severus.

"You need to figure everything out. You need to determine who is more important to you. I don't mean like a competition or anything like that. I simply mean that you have to figure out if you still love her."

His dark eyes bore into hers, not quite hiding the pain and fear that were there. He'd gotten lax in hiding his feelings lately. Or maybe, she thought, he was always like this. She was just seeing more now than she did before.

"What about you?" he asked. "Will you wait?'

Hermione smiled through her heartbreak. She knew how much he loved to see her smile.

"Of course. You need your space to figure things out. Once you do, I'll be here waiting for your answer." As she said this, she thought to herself, Am I really agreeing to this? I'm tethering myself to a man who may not even choose me. I'm giving my heart to him, and it may wind up getting crushed.

He rose from the chair and pressed a kiss to her forehead, cupping her face in between his palms. She smiled tightly, hoping to seem encouraging and understanding when really all she felt was confusion, heartbreak, and dread.

"Thank you. I must go. Work beckons. Will I see you next week?"

"Of course. I'll meet you there. I might be a bit late. I have a detention to host."

Severus nodded, taking a handful of Floo powder out of his pocket and tossing it into the fireplace. Hermione looked away as the flames engulfed him and he disappeared. Only after she'd blocked off the Floo to any visitors or callers, did she allow the tears to course down her cheeks.

**Agh! Right in the feels! I hope you enjoy, my darlings! **

**XX Willow**


	11. Chapter 11

**Oh, you little cupcakes with these amazing reviews. You make me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside :) Thank you, thank you, thank you! And I hope you keep enjoying it!**

**I do apologize for the delay in this posting. I had a family emergency and had to do some last minute traveling that I wasn't expecting. Anyway, here you go. Thank you for your patience :)**

Severus lied when he said that work was beckoning him. He'd sent an owl early this morning telling them that he wasn't coming in. His concentration was shot to hell and he didn't think it would be safe for anyone if he were in there brewing. Instead, he took the Floo to his flat.

He knew he should try to sleep, but he couldn't silence his mind long enough. It was unusual for him to be this thoroughly confused. He had strong feelings for Hermione. She was helping him settle into this new life. She was making him more human and he loved her for it. She cared for him and was there for him, no matter what asinine thing he was doing. She was witty, clever, and beautiful to boot. She didn't scare easily and he had to fight to push her away. She was a steadfast person, dependable and honest. After his life of deceit, secrets, and upheaval, he needed that.

Then there was Lily. He had loved her since he was a teenager. He spent the bulk of his adult years safeguarding her child because of how much he loved her. It was only after the war ended that he realized how ridiculous it was that he was pining after a dead woman. He had to move on with his life. He had to move on from her.

There were a lot of similarities between Lily and Hermione, if he was forced to admit it. They both had the ridiculous Gryffindor streak that he had grown to appreciate. They were both fiery, passionate, and hot tempered. They were more stubborn than anyone he'd ever known and they constantly challenged him. After Lily died, everyone either backed down or left him alone. That was until Hermione showed up and rocked his world.

Then Lily showed up in front of him again. How dare she ruin everything the way she had? Why couldn't she have come back ten years ago? She could have raised her own child, and Severus could have had a future with her, maybe even with some children of their own. But not now. Not after everything that's happened.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by a soft knock on his door. Slipping his wand up his sleeve out of habit, he went to answer it.

"Can I come in?" Lily asked softly. Her eyes pleaded with him as he stood firmly in the doorway. After a moment's consideration, he stepped aside and she entered the hallway.

He gestured for her to have a seat in the living room and she settled herself on the couch. She seemed to be waiting for him to sit down as well. Instead, he just leaned his shoulder against the doorframe and crossed his arms in front of him.

"I suppose you're not going to say anything, are you?" Lily asked. Her words were met with a closed expression and silence.

"I thought not. Listen Severus, I just want to explain myself to you. I want to explain what happened when we were kids in school. I want to prove to you that I never hated you like you thought. I just want a chance to tell you the things I need to tell you. Then if you don't hate me for what you hear, we can decide how to proceed from there."

"And why would I do that?" Severus asked with a sneer. "Why would I give you the opportunity to spout a fountain of half truths to me?"

"Because at one time, we were friends. We told each other our deepest secrets summers upon summers and only had each other. We studied together, we played together and I went to you for support when my father died and you came to me when your father-"

"Don't you talk about my father, Lily," Severus warned, cutting off her trip down memory lane. "I remember quite clearly what happened in our childhood. I don't need a reminder."

"Then for the sake of our old friendship, give me a chance," Lily pleaded.

This was a bad idea, he knew it. He shouldn't allow her even the smallest bit of leeway and it would be much harder if she was spending all her time around him. Still, she was right. Because of the past, he owed it to her.

"Fine."

Lily's smile lit up her face as she rose from the couch.

"Great. Do you want to get lunch with me?"

"I have no other plans for today," Severus replied, straightening from the wall. He and Lily walked together out the door of his building to an alley nearby.

"Where?"

"Let's go to Hogsmeade. I haven't been to the Three Broomsticks in so long," Lily said wistfully. She smiled at him before Apparating away. Severus rolled his eyes and took a deep breath. This day just was not getting any easier.


	12. Chapter 12

**I have no real reason for not posting before now except that time seems to have gotten away from me. I will be posting the next half of this story much quicker now and I'm so sorry for making you wait so long :( **

**Here you go. Enjoy!**

Lunch time rolled around and classes were dismissed for the morning. There was a special meeting for the whole school and all the classes for the afternoon were cancelled at the last minute. Hermione had the rest of her day to do nothing. So what else would a self respecting witch do but go and surprise her boyfriend at work for lunch?

She quickly changed out of her teaching robes and fluffed her hair gently. She decided to wear something springy and floral. She didn't consciously choose to dress up to get his attention, but part of her knew that it the white dress with pink and periwinkle flowers all over it was meant to do just that. She slipped her feet into some white pumps and flooed to the atrium of the Ministry.

Hermione stepped seamlessly from the fireplace into the flow of foot traffic through the massive lobby, the clicks of her heels drowned out by the dozens of other people walking by. Some people paused and greeted her, exchanging pleasantries. Others waved in passing as they shuffled their armfuls of paperwork. Hermione smiled to herself, pleased with her decision to go into teaching rather than working for the Ministry. Much less paperwork.

She stepped into the lift alongside a Ministry official being bombarded with dozens of little paper airplane memos. She gave him a sympathetic smile before selecting the level of the laboratories and testing areas. When she stepped out of the lift, she wrinkled her nose. It always smelled slightly of singed hair and burnt rubber. With quick and sure steps, she made her way down the hallway. She'd trained herself to ignore any open doors and whatever she may see therein. Nothing would be gained if she went and tried being heroic and wind up getting injured herself. These people were professionals, selected by the Ministry for their brewing expertise. Or so she told herself. If Severus' stories and opinions were anything to go by, all other employees in this department were no better than monkeys in uniforms throwing things together willy nilly over a fire.

"Good afternoon, Clover," Hermione greeted. She had finally gotten to Severus' office where his secretary sat guarding his door. "How are you today?"

"Oh Hermione, hello! I'm doing just fine. Catching up on some paperwork," her soft voice responded as she gestured at the numerous piles of papers scattered on her desk. Clover brushed a strand of her whispy blonde hair off her forehead, careful not to smear ink on her face.

"What can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if Severus was available to have a break and get lunch with me."

Clover's forehead furrowed as her head tilted slightly to the right.

"Severus?" Her lilting voice belied her confusion at Hermione's request.

"Yes, your boss? About so high, dark hair and eyes, occasionally quite surly and grumpy," Hermione replied with a smile. Perhaps the mountain of work that Severus piled on this poor girl has made her completely overlook the shadow of a man who stalks around like a ghost.

"Uh, well Severus isn't here today."

"Oh. He's not? But he told me this morning that he would be here."

Clover shook her head, an apologetic look on her face.

"I'm sorry, Hermione. He sent an owl in this morning," Clover reported, shuffling around some papers before pulling one out from among all the rest. "Here it is."

Hermione took the paper that was being held out to her and looked down at it with a frown. Sure enough, Severus' familiar script explained that he wouldn't be able to come to work today for personal reasons. Nothing was further detailed, as per his typical demeanor.

"Well I'm sure you could ask Lily where to meet up with him if you wanted to."

Hermione's head snapped up, her attention immediately drawn away from the letter she held in her hand.

"Lily? How do you know Lily?"

"She stopped by looking for Severus about an hour ago," Clover explained, her cheeks pinkening.

"Oh. Okay then. Thank you, Clover. You've been extremely helpful. I'll make sure to tell Severus that you're really a superior assistant," Hermione said in a clipped tone. It wasn't Clover's fault, she knew that. She was just the messenger. It was hard to be impassive when your heart feels like it's being shoved into a tiny box and its only companions are rejection and abandonment.

"Um, thank you. Would you like me to tell him you came by or...?" Clover asked, biting her lip. Her sympathetic gaze practically burned Hermione.

"No, no. That's alright," Hermione responded, brushing her question off with a hand. 'I'm sure I'll see him before tomorrow. Thank you."

Her walk through the Ministry this time wasn't as pleasant. She was so withdrawn into her own thoughts, she didn't see anyone else around her. She couldn't help but feel terrible. Maybe if she didn't know that Lily had come by earlier, she would have felt better about Severus lying to her. Lily would have most certainly gone to Sev's flat if she's done enough research to find out where he works. And there's no guarantee that he wouldn't have gone with her.

Thoughts swirled around and around in Hermione's head until she'd gotten back to her dormitories. There wasn't a point to try to floo him or anything now. She'd convinced herself that he went with Lily, wherever she wanted him to go.

Just because they went out to lunch, however, doesn't mean that it means anything. It's been years since Severus had seen Lily. They were friends for years before that. There was a lot of information that she would need catching up on. There must be dozens and dozens of questions regarding her old friends, the war, what's happened in the world, Harry. Hermione knew that she would have questions if she were in Lily's position and she knew that she would go to the person she trusted most; Her best friends.

Okay, enough of this nonsense. Hermione told herself, changing roughly out of the silly dress she'd put on. I'm a grown woman. I can trust my boyfriend to go out to dinner with another woman without any other repercussions.

With a sigh, she flopped down on her bed. As she stared at the ceiling, her mind went over and over what Severus told her about Lily returning from the dead.

"A combination of a horcrux, the resurrection stone and whatever magic Harry used..."

Hermione sat upright in her bed.

"The resurrection stone." Hermione vaulted across her room and started pulling books from her extensive collection. Some books that she had from her horcrux search a few years ago. She also retained many of the books mentioning the resurrection stone and it's properties. It was about time for her to put her brain back to good use.


	13. Chapter 13

The excitement that was caused over Lily walking into the Three Broomsticks again was to be expected. Everyone she knew at one point either broke down sobbing or were proclaiming how they couldn't believe it. There were smiles and tears and far too many emotions for Severus to feel entirely comfortable. Instead, he left Lily to her reunion and found a table. Out of habit, he almost ordered Hermione's drink of choice before he remembered that she wasn't the woman he was waiting on right now.

He couldn't quite suppress the guilty feeling gnawing away at his gut. He lied to Hermione and now he was out with another woman. To be fair, they hadn't clearly explained the boundaries that their relationship had. Though how would a couple prepare for the return of the man's ex-love from the grave?

Soon enough, Lily came to the table brushing tears off her cheeks. In spite of himself, Severus couldn't help but notice just how lovely she was right now. The dim light glinted off her coppery hair and the candlelight cast a soft, golden glow across her cheeks.

"It looks just like I remember it. A little bit more worn, maybe but other than that just the same," Lily sighed with a smile. She pulled the glass of water that Severus ordered for the both of them toward her and took a long drink.

"So, what's been going on the last few years?" Lily inquired. Her lips were still pulled back into a smile. She seemed at home here. She seemed happy.

Severus just gave her a blank look for a moment before lacing his fingers together and setting them on the table before him.

"You just asked me to summarize the last 20 plus years in a sentence or two. Would you care to be just a bit more specific?"

"You don't have to be so angry with me, Sev. I haven't done anything to warrant it," she sighed. "Okay, how are Frank and Alice?"

"They were Crucioed into insanity. Their son, Neville was raised by his grandmother. They died shortly thereafter," Severus replied very matter of factly.

Lily brought her hand to her mouth in surprise.

"No!"

"Death Eaters didn't get kinder as the years went on, Lily. They learned new ways to torture and to kill."

"Remus? What happened to Remus?"

"He's fine. He was a teacher for a year before his furry little problem became well known. He's married now to Nymphadora Tonks and they have a son named Teddy. Brilliant child, if overly gregarious. He was the ringbearer at Harry's wedding to Ginevra Weasley."

"Weasley? As in Molly and Arthur?"

Severus nodded.

"Their only daughter."

"How many did they ultimately have?"

"7 in all. All boys and one girl."

Over the course of this little game of name-their-fate, Severus got a chance to observe her. Within a few short minutes, she grieved for her friends who had died, smiled about the friends who had survived and were doing well and longed for more information. Soon, Severus had filled her in on the fates of all the people she was close to.

But something was off. She acted the parts of sad and happy and grief stricken but she didn't seem to actually feel it. After all those years of friendship and knowing each other at school, he knew when she was actually feeling something versus just acting it. Maybe it was simply that she was getting a lot of information at once. Maybe it was because she was feeling so many things, relief, stress, sadness, that she couldn't feel them all at the same time. Severus had no reason to suspect anything strange. And he did have to admit, it has been 20 years. But for some reason, he couldn't shake the niggling feeling that something was very wrong about his childhood love.

Lily smiled at him, temporarily banishing worries. He always loved it when she smiled at him. With a small smile in return, he felt her fingers close around his hand.

"I really did miss you, Severus."

"Then why did it take you so long to find me?" he asked with a sigh.

"It wasn't safe. I didn't want to come to you and put you in danger," she replied, a silent plea of understanding behind her words.

Severus pulled his hand from hers.

"Dangerous for you or for me?" He asked bitterly. "Were you more afraid of putting me in danger or of me handing you over to the Voldemort the moment you arrived?"

"That's not fair."

"It's perfectly fair. You knew how 'deep in it' I was. You must have assumed I was still involved." Severus sat back in the booth as he surveyed her. "You didn't trust me, Lily. That's why you stayed so far away."

"If that's what you want to believe, Severus that's fine. I never distrusted you. I never hated you. I wanted to come to you but I didn't know if you would be pleased to see me or feel obligated to your bloody masters to at least tell them about me. I didn't know if you would try to keep me from Harry or if you would bring me to him the moment I arrived. I didn't know anything, Severus. It wasn't until 8 months ago that I even knew you were alive. There were rumors going about that you were attacked by Nagini and many people thought you were dead. What was I supposed to do?" Tears spilled over her eyelashes as her emerald eyes glittered angrily.

He could understand. He didn't want to understand her point of view, but he did understand. Coming from a war standpoint, she did perfectly. But that didn't excuse one other facet of her return.

"And Harry? Did you mistrust his loyalties so much that you didn't even show yourself to him? You missed his wedding by days, Lily. You could have shown yourself to him a month ago and been able to participate in your son's wedding. Now he's on his honeymoon and doesn't even know you're back."

"I don't want to have to make excuses to you Severus! Can't you just accept that I thought it was dangerous and leave it at that?" Lily exclaimed, frustration flushing her cheeks and her eyes flashing.

"You know I can't do that," Severus replied in a low voice. "People will have questions. Your return is questionable and impossible, at best. You say you returned over a year and a half ago and everyone will be wanting to know what you were doing for those eighteen months. And not," he emphasized, knowing she was about to interrupt. "because we don't trust you. Because everyone is still adjusting from the war and it's habit. Not to mention curiosity."

"I understand that, Severus. But that doesn't mean that I wouldn't like to have someone on my side. Just one person that I won't have to explain myself to. Can you really not offer me that?"

"You're asking me and every other person who finds out you're back to believe that you didn't see a single person who would recognize you for the last year and a half. That you didn't talk to anyone who would suspect you, that if you asked any other person on this planet if Lily Evans Potter was alive or dead, they would all say dead."

"Yes, Severus. I am."

He stared at her for a few moments, unsure whether to believe her or not. There's no telling how many people will believe what she says. Many of them may accept it and not ask any questions, but instead keep her at a wary distance. Severus knew that would hurt her, but at the same time he couldn't fault others their protective instincts.

"People will be distant," he warned.

"It doesn't matter as long as I have you on my side," Lily murmured silkily.

With a start, Severus realized she was flirting with him. The years and years he wished it, now it was happening. Unsurprisingly, it didn't feel the way he thought it was going to. It made him feel hot and uncomfortable and he immediately thought of Hermione. With an awkward clearing of his throat and an antsy shift in his seat, Severus averted his gaze before starting to speak.

"Lily, while I appreciate your, uh, attentions I must confess. Hermione and I aren't exactly platonic."

Lily frowned, her eyebrows creasing down daintily before raising one in an appraising fashion.

"Really? Then what exactly are you?"

"We have been seeing each other for a number of months and we are rather serious about each other," Severus replied stiffly, ready to defend his relationship.

"And she's friends with Harry? So she's his age?"

"Yes."

"She's twenty years younger than you, Severus."

"Yes," he responded, spine stiffening.

She sat quietly for a moment, thinking about what he had said and the age difference.

"Alright then," she replied. "I'm very happy that you're happy right now. Just remember that when you're in your seventies, she'll be in her fifties."

"I'm aware of what our age difference entails."

Lily smiled and said no more but Severus could see the challenge in her eyes. It was almost as though she'd taken his admittance that he was seeing someone as a challenge. Someone with such a large age difference didn't stand a chance in her eyes. He would be easy pickings for her.

With no way to discourage her without making it sound more of a challenge, Severus just sighed and took a long drink from his water. The rest of the evening, they spent with small talk back and forth. It was going to be a long wait until everything settled down again.


End file.
